The Recovery Hour

What Goes Up, Must Come Down || An Interview With Roy Tuscany, Founder & CEO High Fives Foundation  

Celebrating 4 years of sobriety (October 2020), Roy continues his “one day at a time” mindset to control his drinking urges. After making a drinking goal of consuming a handle of tequila all to himself (a task he completed and is luckily still alive) Roy made the life changing decision to quit drinking, cold turkey! This after a devastating spinal cord injury on a ski jump.

His reason for everything he does, Partner Alana and Son Gunner, motivate him to be a better person every day.

In this episode Roy and Lori discuss:

• High Fives Foundation
• Roy’s devastating life changing spinal cord injury
• a broken left femur to follow
• Roy’s mother’s cancer diagnosis
• handling grief after a losing a loved one
• aggressive drinking turned SHIT SHOW
• the hold alcohol has on so many
• losing friends in sobriety
• how to take the positive out of the negative
• giving back and paying it forward
• OHANA, a Hawaiian word for Family
• being on ESPN (what what?!)
• his face on Lays (seriously… his face is on the Lays bag)

Roy Tuscany Bio: originally from Waterbury, VT and after graduating from university of Vermont with a degree in mechanical engineering Roy headed out west to pursue the dream of being a professional free skier. in 2006, Roy suffered a life-altering injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down and was the catalyst to the creation of high fives. Roy turned the financial and community support of his own recovery into a ‘pay-it-forward’ adventure with the creation of high fives non-profit foundation. he was named the “spirit inspires” award from disabled sports USA in 2011 and once held the world record for the most high fives in a 24 hour period.

He lives in Reno, Nevada with his girlfriend (badass) Alana Nichols and son Gunnar and enjoys finding fun in everything he does.

OTHER INFLUENTIAL PEEPS WE MENTIONED:

• Alana Nichols 
• Eric Deslauriers 
• Steven Kotler and the Zero to Dangerous Program 
• David Vobora Military to the Mountain Program
• Kenny Mayne – ESPN
  • Roy on Sports Center with Kenny
  • Coronavirus Ruined High Five
• Dr. David C. Leppla, MD
• Dr. Anthony Slonim, MD, DrPH, FACHE

TBD if @RenownHealth sponsors this episode ;-)

  Witchy Woman || An Interview with an Out of The Broom Closet Witch: Vasalisa Wall 

Have you ever wanted to talk to a real witch? Today is your lucky day! Lori talks with self-proclaimed “out of the broom closet witch” Vasalisa Wall. Lori asks the questions we all want to know… like…. What the fu*k is Halloween? And how to you ‘become’ a witch?

Happy Halloween. Happy Hollow’s Eve. Blessed Samhain.

A note from our guest: "I am Vasalisa, Co-founder of Sacred Recovery and Creatrix of Reclaiming Recovery. I am a Certified Trauma Professional, Professional Recovery Coach (with a SHE RECOVERS® Signature Coach Designation), Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, and Sound Healing Practitioner. I also hold a Diploma in Addiction Medicine. I am currently studying Community Herbalism with Pacific Rim College. I have worked in the realm of addiction recovery for 13 years and have supported many individuals to discover their own magick and reclaim their sacred selves so they may thrive in recovery.

I am also an out-of-the-broom-closet witch.

I saw the witch in myself at age 4 and had confirmation of the supernatural at age 12. Growing up on top of a mountain, on the site of an old silver mine, nature has been a resource and a loving, safe, relentless source of support throughout my life. My earliest memories include getting intentionally lost in the woods, standing in awe of grandfather’s beard hanging from old-growth trees, co-creating with faeries, talking to animals, eating wild chives, and honeysuckle flowers, and dancing with daisies.

I followed a magickal thread to Seraphina Capranos who introduced me to Reclaiming in 2015. I immediately felt like I had “come home”. I have since completed two year long Apprenticeships with Reclaiming Teachers: Sacred Leadership and a Priestess Apprenticeship. I have also completed a year of mentoring with Suzanne Sterling with a focus on her Voice of Change Curriculum designed to liberate individuals to find and speak their truth.

In other words, I have come to learn a thing or two about addiction, recovery, and the way our nervous systems and brains are wired! I am also a ritualist, a lover of earth-based spirituality, invoker of the sacred, and blender of science and spirituality.

My animal companion and spiritual guide, Josie Manyhairs, is a guiding light on my path (and the path of many others!) Many people in the recovery community know me as “Josie’s Mum” as she has been working alongside me in the realm of recovery her entire life, so she deserves special mention as a part of who I am – always. As a woman in long-term recovery from codependency, workaholism, trauma, and child loss I have been blessed to have her by my side. I also live a sober lifestyle and through my recovery have transformed my hyper-vigilant, trauma-dependent, codependent system into an intuitive and grounded one. I am passionate about creating sacred space, living authentically, and teaching others how to use their limitations as signposts guiding them towards transformation."

Vasalisa is also the Community & Engagement Specialist for the SHE RECOVERS® Foundation.

Lisa is a woman in long term recovery from:

• Codependency
• Workaholism
• Trauma
• Child loss

In this episode we discuss:

• The Witch Craze – Witch Trials in and around the 13th century
• Healers were considered witches (a healer: a mid-wife, herbalist, counselor or therapist, holistic healing practices)
• Joy and power was seen as dangerous
• What is an early exit-er from alcohol?
• You are your own spiritual authority
• We seek to do right because it is the right thing to do.
• Is it HERBs… or erbs?
• Intergenerational trauma goes back at least 3 generations
• Recovering witch, earth-based spirituality
• Reclaiming witch, principles of unity
• Fear based threats are still coming to Vasalisa since identifying as a witch
• Halloween? Hallows eve? Samhain?
• Samhain is a pagan religious festival originating from an ancient Celtic spiritual tradition. In modern times, Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced “sow-win”) is usually celebrated from October 31 to November 1 to welcome in the harvest and usher in “the dark half of the year.” – HISTORY.COM 
• The Wailing Woman

FIND VASALISA AND HER PRACTICES AT:

Facebook.com/reclaimingrecovery 

Facebook.com/sacredrecovery

https://www.instagram.com/sacredrecovery

https://www.instagram.com/reclaiming_recovery

WEBSITES

SACRED RECOVERY Coaching & Mentorship Business

RECLAIMING RECOVERY Gatherings fo magically minded and recovery-focused folx

RECOVERY CAULDRON Group coaching program with Liana Kennedy

Other organizations mentioned in this episode:

SHE RECOVERS® FOUNDATION

KENNEDY RECOVERY COACHING

CHANI NICHOLAS

 Breast Cancer Awareness Month –  Don't Tell Me To Fight Like A Girl || An Interview With Metastatic Cancer Survivor Jen Pokorski 

Her message is clear.... You can be a stage 4 metastatic cancer patient AND LIVE. After all... she did!

At age 40 Jen found a lump on her breast and her life changed immediately after finding out she had cancer. Not only breast cancer, but metastatic cancer. She shares a detailed account of her treatment plan, side effects, the advantage of positive thinking and well... her distaste for being told to fight like a girl. With no family history, you can imagine her surprise.

As per usual, lots of laughter and vulnerable convo. We'd expect nothing less from our host, Lori and her friends.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:

• metastatic cancer
• breast cancer
• triple negative breast cancer
• triple negative stage four breast cancer
• PTSD from cancer journey
• suicide of a family member
• depression
• ghosts and spirits
• pink-tober
• "the pink ribbon syndrome"
• don't tell me to fight like a girl, I have cancer
• YouTuber Jake Paul and the "suicide forest" in Japan
• alcoholism in the family (ALANON, AA)
• depression
• lonely, loneliness
• Misophonia is a disorder in which certain sounds trigger emotional or physiological responses that some might perceive as unreasonable given the circumstance. Those who have misophonia might describe it as when a sound “drives you crazy.” Their reactions can range from anger and annoyance to panic and the need to flee. Web-MD
• www.eachonetellone.org for more information on dense breast tissue and the program Breast Cancer 2 Bikini
• www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org

DISCLAIMER: thoughts and discussions of our guests are just that; Recovery Hour is not responsible for, or always in agreement with views of our guests; however, we do keep an open dialog with a safe space for all to tell their story. We shall not be held liable for, well.... anything.

If you or someone you know is in need of help, please dial 911 (in the US) for emergencies. For 24/7 support, please contact https://www.crisistextline.org/ or  https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month – We Do Recover || An Interview with Jeannine Canino Bieda, Her Cancer Forever Shit Show 

With no family history, 32-year-old Jeannine found a lump in her breast. After getting a mammogram, she was 1) notified that she had dense breast tissue, and 2) the lump she found was diagnosed as a cyst. No further information.

Four years later, with the guidance of her primary care physician, as well as her physician sister, Jeannine was faced with the news of finding something 'concerning' - with question if she wanted the small lump to be biopsied. With a firm YES to get biopsied, she quickly heard another yes when she was notified, on Christmas Eve, that yes, she did indeed have breast cancer at age 36.

Hovering at stage 2 and knowing there was a 3-6% chance of reoccurrence if she chose chemotherapy as treatment, Jeannine chose not to have chemotherapy, adding an additional complication of cancer... thoughts of being a fraudulent patient loomed as not being serious. Because of her cancer, Jeannine and her husband were forced to discuss child planning, which wasn’t something they were ready for

AS ALWAYS, THIS CANDID CONVERSATION IS MET WITH EDUCATION AND EXTREME HILARITY. 

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:

· Mammograms save lives, they just don’t save everyone’s lives. 

· Jeannine doesn’t believe in the pink bullshit. Stop trying to fit breast cancer into a pretty pink box. 

· Victim blaming

· Holistic treatment- oils & Jesus

· Breast cancer-It didn't run in my family either https://youtu.be/YWmAdOCc0g0 Do you have dense breast tissue? My cancer did not show up on my mammogram because of dense breast tissue.

· Estrogen

· Don’t trust the internet

· Time doesn’t always heal

· Cancer ruined Christmas

https://www.metavivor.org/

· METAvivor is dedicated to the specific fight of women and men living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. At the time of METAvivor’s founding, no organization was dedicated to funding research for the disease and no patient groups were speaking out about the dearth of stage 4 cancer research. While more and more people have taken up the cry for more stage 4 research, METAvivor remains the sole US organization dedicated to awarding annual stage 4 breast cancer research.

#stage4needsmore 

https://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org/

· Think Before You Pink®, a project of Breast Cancer Action, launched in 2002 in response to the growing concern about the number of pink ribbon products on the market. The campaign calls for more transparency and accountability by companies that take part in breast cancer fundraising, and encourages consumers to ask critical questions about pink ribbon promotions.

· #thinkbeforeyoupink

https://eachonetellone.org/

Our mission is simple, Each One… Tell One… give a voice to each person to tell their friends, family, neighbors the importance of knowing their breast density and offer education about additional screening options. It’s every woman’s right to know their density.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_Cancer_Awareness_Month 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), also referred to in America as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM), is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer. Breast cancer awareness month is a yearly campaign that intend educate people about the importance of early screening, test and more. This campaign starts on October 1 and ends on October 31 every year.